Abstract

Summary

Laboratory studies were conducted in attempts to infect three common species of bird mites, Dermanyssus gallinae, Ornithonyssus bursa and O. sylviarum, with the virus of St. Louis encephalitis and to transmit infection by the bite of these mites to newly hatched chickens. The virus tests were performed in three-week-old white Swiss mice, inoculated intracerebrally. Detectable virus persisted less than 2 days in the mites, and no transmissions by bite were shown. These negative results support those previously reported by Reeves et al. (1955) and indicate a lack of importance of bird mites in transmission of active St. Louis encephalitis infection.